Elliot's Stalker
by Kelly of the midnight dawn
Summary: Post 'Alternate' title change. For once it's Elliot who's in way over his head. Can Olivia and the others figure out what's going on?  EO
1. Chapter 1

**Quiet**

**Disclaimer: I do not own them**

**A/N: Well, you can't really slap a nice happy EO bow on an episode that wasn't very EO. But, it's early in the season and I'm holding out hope. By the way, does anyone notice how much more of a bitch Kathleen is that she was last season? And that's totally saying something because she was a total bitch. Anyway, hope you enjoy.**

"How's Kathy holding up?" Olivia asked, handing Elliot a cup of coffee as they walked down the street towards where the sedan was parked. It had been a late night and Olivia hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Elliot all day. She was worried about him.

"Thanks," he said flatly, taking the cup from her and tipping back the scolding contents, not caring when they seared his throat. He crushed the empty cup in his hand and tossed it in a dumpster as they passed by "She's pissed," he finally answered Olivia's question. "All these years and no perp has ever gotten that close. She's threatening to take the kids to her mother's again," he stopped walking and simply stood there.

Olivia turned and walked the few steps back to him "Elliot," she whispered, touching his arm gently; she wanted desperately to take him into her arms and hold him, removing his pain but it wasn't appropriate. "Kathy's just a little shaken up. Give her some time, you two will get passed this. You have before."

Elliot turned away from Olivia compassionate gaze "We didn't get through anything. The only reason we're even still together is that I got her pregnant again," he hung his head "I'm such an idiot."

"Don't say that," Olivia smiled kindly, placing a hand under his chin and bringing his gaze back to hers "Things will work out," it hurt her to reassure him that his marriage would be fine but she knew that all the doubt in his heart was hurting him more.

"I don't think it can," Elliot admitted, trying not to stare into her eyes "Ever since we told the kids that they're gonna have a new sibling, none of them have said a kind word to me," he turned away from Olivia and began walking again. It was like he had lost his family all over again and he was still living in the same house with them.

"Elliot," Olivia quickened her pace to catch up with him. At the corner, she finally caught up with him "Are you okay?" she asked the question already knowing the answer; he wasn't okay and she knew he would tell her he was. In the end, the question seemed unnecessary but she was compelled to ask it nonetheless.

He turned to her in the dim glow of an overhead street light "I… I'm not sure anymore," he admitted and he stepped forward into her embrace. "Liv," he nearly sobbed "That psycho bitch is still out there, walking the streets. What if…? Kathy's got the right idea. She should take the kids and leave."

"That's not gonna happen," Olivia told him firmly "She knows if she comes anywhere near you again we'll hit her with whatever we can throw at her."

"That's not gonna stop her," he said, running a hand down her back, not even aware of the gesture. "You know what was the weirdest thing?" he asked softly. "When I saw her there, I wasn't anymore worried about her than I would be about any other civilian in that situation," he looked down at the ground "I thought I would feel something."

"You were in shock," Olivia tried reasoning, restraining herself from pouncing on the small glimmer of hope. She felt like a horrible person for wanting Elliot's marriage to fall apart. She felt so guilty for loving him.

"No," Elliot disagreed "It wasn't that. I know it wasn't that," he murmured and got into the car.

Olivia climbed into the passenger's seat "It's gonna work out," she reassured him "You'll see."

"I hope you're right," Elliot sighed as he drove her to her apartment building. When the car stopped and just before she was about to get out, he leaned towards her. He didn't know why he did it but he kissed her "Thanks," he whispered as he pulled away.

"For what?" she asked, trying not to smile as her lips tingled.

"I think I'd go insane without you," he admitted "Thanks for being here for me."

"Anytime," Olivia smiled as she got out of the car "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," he waved "See ya."

He drove back to his house and found it dark. He opened the door and found a note on the kitchen table. He picked it up and unfolded it. With a heavy heart, he read it out loud, the sound of his voice echoing through the void that was his home.

"Elliot,… I'm sorry. This whole thing was just too much. I took the kids to my mom's house. I'm bringing another life into this world and I can't do that if I'm gonna come home everyday to find some crazy bitch with a knife, saying that she's in love with you. Goodbye."

He folded the note again and dropped it on the table. She had left him again. He sank into a chair and let the quiet of the house descend upon him.

**A/N: Okay, not very EO but any story where I have successfully removed Kathy from the scene is a happy ending in my book. Hope you liked. Please review and don't worry, I'm gonna update "Showdown" soon but I needed a bit of a break from that one.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Elliot's Stalker**

**Chapter 2:**

**A/N: Okay, so for some reason I decided to continue with the post ep that I started. I mean, it was the perfect set up. How often does Elliot have a crazy become infatuated with him?**

Elliot fell asleep on the couch that night. Part of him wanted desperately to call Olivia, to talk to her, let her voice fill the silence that had become his life. But it was late and he didn't want to bother her. if she could actually manage to get to sleep, he didn't want to be the one to wake her.

He awoke at three when his phone rang, the noise so loud and piercing in the quiet house that it startled him. He fell off the couch and groaned. "This had better be important," he mumbled gruffly as he grabbed the phone "Stabler."

"Sorry to hear about your wife leaving you," he recognized the voice and couldn't help it when his pulse quickened "Do you want me to come over and keep you company?"

"No thanks," he replied in a tone of forced calm.

"Aw," Janice said disappointedly "Again, you're being so cold with me," her pouty tone was down righ annoying.

"If you call me again I'll have you arrested for harassing a cop," Elliot threatened.

"Okay," Janice said, feigning sadness "I guess I'll just have to come see you in person."

"Just try it," Elliot said, not at all amused.

"Already here," there was an echo on the other end of the phone and Elliot looked up to see someone standing across from him in the shadows.

"What the hell?" he sprang up and turned on the light to reveal Janice, standing there, holding a gun in one hand and a pair of handcuffs in the other.

"You're a really sound sleeper," she smiled as she spoke in a sing song voice to him.

"You're in a lot of trouble," Elliot informed her.

Janice pouted and dropped her chin to her chest "Oh, I've been a bad girl. I think I need to be taught a lesson," she took a few steps forward towards him.

Elliot reached started to dial 911 on the phone he was still holding when Janice pounced on him. She wrenched the phone from his hands and began to nuzzle up against him "Oh, come on. Don't be like that. We don't want any interruptions."

Elliot pushed her off of him "You're seriously messed up," he told her.

Janice jammed the gun between his ribs "So?" she asked, laughing "What's wrong with wanting to be loved?"

Elliot thought fast. Janice was an unstable woman. He had no doubt that she would shoot him if he gave her a reason "It wouldn't work between us," he started.

"Why not?" Janice's bottom lip jutted out even further and her eyes grew big and watery "You're wife left you. She obviously doesn't care about you the way I do," she jammed the gun harder into his ribs, thereby proving the extreme untruth of her previous statement "Now, let's have some fun."

Her grip on the gun relaxed slightly and Elliot puched her in the face "I don't think so," he said, grabbing the handcuffs from her and trying to cuff her.

Janice used the gun as a club and struck him over the head with it. He collapsed instantly "I wasn't asking," she said as his eyes slid closed.

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Olivia found herself shaken awake in the middle of the night. She sat up, breathing heavily. She tried to figure out what had woken her but everything in her apartment seemed peaceful and as it should be.

She lay back down and tried to fall asleep once more but somewhere in the back of her mind, she couldn't shake the feeling that somewhere, something was terribly wrong.

**A/N: Ooh, cliffhanger. What's gonna happen to poor Elliot? Please review and let me know if you like what I'm doing with this story.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Elliot's Stalker**

**Chapter 3:**

**A/N: My mind is nuts. I'm nuts. "Showdown" is somehow slowly becoming the bane of my existence and on some level this story is too. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Olivia finally fell into a fitful sleep peppered with disturbing imagery. She thought she saw Elliot, unconscious, being dragged down a flight of stairs. She tried to see the face of the person who had him but it was dark. All of a sudden, the image became clear.

"Janice," she whispered, shooting out of bed again. She was breathing hard and sweating. She tried to tell herself that everything was okay but she couldn't shake the feeling deep in the pit of her stomach.

She reached for the phone and dialed his cell number. It was almost four in the morning and she was hoping, strangely enough, that she would wake him and that he would be pissed off about it. After all, 'I just wanted to see if you were okay,' wasn't much of an excuse at four o'clock.

The phone rang and rang and rang but there was no answer. Olivia thought that it would go to voicemail but on the fifth ring a bubbly voice that made Olivia's heart stop answered "I'm sorry, Elliot can't come to the phone right now," there was a click and the line went dead.

Olivia got up, pulled on her clothes and called the captain "We've got a problem," she said as she grabbed her gun and headed out the door.

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"Janice!" Olivia called as she entered the house with her gun drawn. She found them in the living room. Elliot was lying unconscious on the couch and Janice had wrapped her body protectively around his.

Upon seeing Olivia, Janice got up and stood in front of the couch. She pulled out the gun "Stay away from us," she demanded "We're happy."

"Janice," Olivia said evenly "You need help."

"Elliot will help me," she said simply.

"Elliot's unconscious," Olivia stated but as she spoke, Elliot began to come around.

He rubbed his head and sat up. After a few moments, he realized what was going on. His eyes locked with Olivia's. She nodded. He grabbed Janice from behind, throwing her off balance. The gun Janice was holding went off before flying out of her hand. The bullet missed Olivia by a mere six inches.

Janice pulled away from Elliot and looked at him with absolute betrayal in her eyes "How could you?" she asked "We could have been happy."

Olivia stepped forward with the handcuffs ready. Janice turned and slugged her before running out into the crowd of cops outside.

"You okay?" Elliot asked, standing up and taking a few steps in her direction.

Olivia nodded and smiled softly "Yeah," she whispered "I'm fine," then she quickly changed the subject "What about you?"

"A little shaken up," he admitted.

"Where's Kathy?" Olivia asked, looking around.

Elliot's gaze fell to the floor as he reached into his pocket for the note that Kathy had left him. Olivia took it from him and read it. "Oh, Elliot," she whispered, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him "It's gonna be okay," she told him.

Suddenly a gunshot sounded from outside. Elliot involuntarily tightened his grip on Olivia as she involuntarily did the same. Shouts of 'Oh my God!' reached their ears and the two of them ventured outside to see what had happened.

"We were about to cuff her," one of the officers explained "She grabbed my gun and…" he trailed off, looking down at the lifeless body at his feet. Janice had put a bullet straight through her head.

Olivia took Elliot's hand in hers and squeezed it "It's over," she whispered. Though it was a tragic end for Janice, she had been a troubled woman and her being dead made Olivia feel a lot better.

**A/N: I'm thinking that I'll probably have one chapter after this, just some EO fluffiness to wrap everything up. I never intended this to be a long story. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed.**


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